NORTH CHINA, KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722)

The reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722) was a period of great achievement for all the arts, and carpets woven during this period are celebrated for their harmony and proportion both in coloration and size. Woven for both the Imperial court and nobility, Qing dynasty rugs and carpets were often made for a specific place or function. Based on its proportions, the present carpet was most likely made as a daybed cover that would have been typically reserved for an important guest.

The field design of symmetrical peony blossoms in offset rows with trailing leafy vinery is based on Chinese textile patterns. Used either as a solid overall pattern or as a background for a medallion and spandrels, slight variations are found in the coloration and shape of the peony blossom as well as the treatment of the vinery. A carpet with similar treatment of the vinery and solid indigo blossoms was sold at Christie’s London, 8 October 2006, lot 231. The “Deroyan Peony and Leaf Dais Cover” carries a similar field design (see M. Franses, Classical Chinese Carpets in Western Collections, London, 2002, pl. 9), however, the main blossom in the Deroyan carpet is two-toned with a light camel center.

The most striking feature of this carpet is the geometric form of dragons in the central medallion and in each corner or spandrel. A motif taken from archaic bronzes, the dragon heads emerge from geometric snake-like bodies. The archaistic dragon medallion and spandrels can be found in its more simplified form in a Chinese mat dated to the 17th century (H. A. Lorentz, A View of Chinese Rugs from the seventeenth to the twentieth century, London, 1972, p. 109, pl. 24). The treatment of the dragon-fret motif in the medallion and corners in this carpet closely resembles that of a carpet illustrated in The Tiffany Studios book Antique Chinese Rugs, 1908, pl. XXXII. The Tiffany carpet also shares a similar peony and trellis background, however, the central dragon-fret medallion is two-headed, while our example is a more complicated four-headed design. The dragon heads in the corners are nearly identical although the fret-work is slightly different with the Tiffany carpet having extra “hooks” at the bottom.

This carpet successfully juxtaposes geometric and floral designs in the main field while the border structure, and in particular the indigo meandering line central border, creates a sublime framework for the more significant field imagery. The camel inner border of a peony blossom bracketed by vines is unusual and further enhances the play of angularity and floridity. While the use of color is limited, it is used to arresting effect and achieves a three-dimensional impression. As with Imperial Wanli carpets, a red dye was originally used in this carpet as a background color but has now turned to a soft camel hue.

Interestingly, Michael Franses notes that between 1909 and 1920 about 1,650 'antique' Chinese rugs were offered for sale in various auctions in New York and most were in near perfect condition (M. Franses, Lion-Dogs Hundred Antiques: Classical Chinese Carpets I, London, 2000, p. 14). Louis Comfort Tiffany, John Kimberley Mumford and Thomas B. Clarke were among the early important collectors of Chinese Classical carpets. Today, only approximately 400 carpets are attributable to the Kangxi period and most are in distressed or fragmentary condition.